A freaky Saab 96 V4 for more than US$40.000
Saab Turbo fever is rampant in North America. The classic 900 Turbo is traded at enormous prices and the prices for younger Saab are also increasing. There's a kind of rebirth that's happening, more than a decade after the brand's demise.
The trend is not exclusively limited to the American continent. The Scandinavians, and not only them alone, think two-stroke Saab are great. Today's technology is exotic, and that arouses interest. What turbo is to the US, the two-stroke is to the North. Saab is iconic and prices are on the way up. Not with every model, of course, and the Saab 96 V4 has hardly noticed anything from the current fever surge.
The prices usually tend to be listless, the two-stroke short nose is the nicer car, and it also has the more exciting technology.
More than $40.000 for a Saab 96 V4
That could change. A pretty funky Saab 96 V4 with almost nothing original left was put up for auction in the US. The fact that this Saab would arouse great interest was evident from the number of readers. Hardly was that Post online, hits went up. It quickly became clear to us that something was happening here. The 96 obviously hit the nerve of Saab lovers.
Was it the paint job in “Guard's Red’, a Porsche color, and the advice to treat yourself to the 96 V4, park it in the company car park next to your colleague’s 911 and steal the show? Or was the perfectly made conversion, the upgrade with the seats from the classic Saab 900, a reason for the attractiveness?
A lot had also happened under the hood. The V4 had been completely revised by specialist Andy Bittenbinder, with almost nothing reminiscent of its Ford origins. Whatever it may have been, the Saab 96 V4 switched on the Bring A Trailer Auction the owner for US$40.750 (about 37.570 €) plus premium for the auction platform.
A remarkable price for a V4, which in terms of interest has so far been overshadowed by the two-stroke models. No record proceeds, but a lot of money for a converted Saab classic.
Featuring footage from Bring A Trailer
Would Alex Freund like to explain to me what he thinks is so great about 96?
For my part, I waited from 1966 to 1970 until the first 99 was available
until I joined Saab (coming from the VW Beetle) and haven't gotten away from Saab since then. And I definitely didn't want a '96. Sorry, that's how it was for me... I see that some people think differently.
The Israeli friend (engineer) who drove me and my wife around the country in a 1966 SC for a week on our honeymoon in 96 and implored me to switch from VW to Saab because it was the absolute best car you could get, but also told me something new is coming (the '99) and I should wait for what I did.
The design is awesome, just a Swedish icon. In my early 20s, I probably see the 96 from a younger perspective and not as strict as she does. I was still a long way from being born in 1970, so you have a completely different perspective on these cars. I like the 96 a lot!
I can understand well. I'm older and I know that the 96 was not a big hit in its day. I know that, on the contrary, he was completely outdated. At the end of its production for sure. An air-flow design as it was known from the 1930s, in the mid-1970s?
And despite that, or even because of that, I find the 96 iconic. As a manufacturer, you have to dare to hold on to a design and concept for so long out of inner conviction, contrary to the spirit of the times and fashion.
For me, the fact that it was done is somehow very typically Swedish, even apart from Saab and also apart from the Swedish automotive industry for the 20th century.
First think of Volvo. The Gothenburgers also had model lives of around a quarter of a century as a rule, not as an exception. The combi version from the hump (the PV 1944 developed in 444) ran off the assembly line until 1968. The last of the Amazons introduced in 1956 were sold new in 1970. The 200 1995 still had the same windscreens, doors, roof and lots more from the 140 of the late 1960s. And at the end of the 20th century Hasselblad tried to digitize its cameras of the 1950s with digital backs instead of film cassettes ...
No matter how young you are, how old I am, a Saab 96 is definitely very typically Swedish and I don't think there's any justification for liking it.
I understand what you mean. The 99 was Saab's leap into the middle class, the 96 is a small car. The leaps in development were bigger then than they are today. I drove both Saabs last year, there are worlds between them. But I think both drive well in their own way.
Unbelievable ...... and for a Saab that is no longer original at all. A great car but nothing more own.
matter of taste.
Why question? Simply enjoy!
You can twist and turn it however you want. The bottom line is a conclusion. There is a growing appreciation for Saab. That's nice, regardless of whether it's the Saab that you personally find more valuable.
The price is an announcement - but the 96 is also awesome!